Scale of Ages
by Inexplicably Kyprioth
Summary: Envy takes Wrath home after an unfortunate encounter with Elrics. Angst ensues. EnvyXWrath as brothers, St. Patrick's Day fic. The title doesn't mean anything, but doesn't it sound cool?


"Wrath?" Envy looked down worriedly at the little bundle he carried. Wrath really ought to know by now not to tangle with the Elrics on his own – Ed in particular hated him, and he simply wasn't ready.

A new wave of fury swept over Envy – fury, which was Wrath's domain, but he didn't care. How dare Edward hurt his Wrath! That vile Elric… a more suitable emotion briefly reigned, the old sting of jealousy for Hohenheim's _accepted _sons. And for humans in general, though that was much fainter these days; almost nonexistent. Envy let the old pain hold him for a while, comfortable in it. Then he made the mistake of looking down at his poor wounded little younger sin, and trembled with rage again.

"Sloth!" He barked, entering the Lair of the Homunculi. Or whatever it was Dante wanted them to call it, he couldn't remember at the moment. "Fetch something."

"Hmh." Sloth grumbled, without opening her lips. It was too much trouble.

"For Wrath!" Envy snapped. "Quickly!" He gave a quick, irritated sigh at the way Sloth slowly gathered herself to think. "Bandages and red stones." He supplied, moving threateningly towards where she sat. Sloth squawked irritably and oozed upwards towards the homunculi's adapted first aid kit. Envy gently set Wrath down on the couch where she had been.

"Blood all over… take _effort _to get out." Sloth complained.

"Shut up." Envy ordered, bending over Wrath. Sloth offered him a stone. Envy almost ate it himself, absentminded with worry for the sin he considered his little brother.

Wrath _couldn't _die; Envy needed him. He hadn't realized it until recently, when Wrath showed up, but Envy needed someone to look after. Someone to teach, even if humans would find Envy's methods harsh; someone to be cynical to, to bully… someone to love. He needed someone to look after almost as much as he needed someone to look after him – but as the latter wasn't about to happen, Envy settled for watching over Wrath.

"Come on…" The eldest sin muttered as he pushed the stone between Wrath's lips. A second and a third followed it before Envy turned to the more fatalistic task – bandages. A homunculus in good shape shouldn't need bandages, Envy thought furiously. Goody Two Shoes Wrath, who thought his mother wouldn't like it if he ate too many, had been holding back again.

And curse, curse, curse the Elrics, whatever gods there might be send them a thousand painful deaths, for doing this to Envy's brother!

Why didn't they understand? Wrath was still a child. No matter how great a homunculus he might be, he was a _baby_. He was… was… Ed had a little brother! Ed had Al, Ed loved Al, and Ed would be furious if anything ever happened to Al. So why, _why _couldn't he see that Wrath was Envy's Al? That what he was doing was _horrible_? Why didn't he see Al in Wrath?

_The stupid old reason, of course,_ Envy thought miserably. '_Wrath doesn't have a soul. He's just a homunculus. He doesn't count._' What did Ed know, anyway? What did he know of what it was to be a homunculus? And what was a soul, anyway, what difference did it make? Envy had long ago forgotten, if he had ever known. Wrath had never had the chance. Envy couldn't talk to the others. But if a soul was what the books seemed to say it was, what let you see beauty, what let you love or hate – Envy knew hate. He had hated for four hundred years. And Wrath could love – any fool, hearing one of the rants which sent all the homunculi scurrying for their earplugs anymore, knew Wrath loved. As for beauty… Envy didn't know about that. Maybe that was it – but what was beauty to a life so _close _to being human?

Besides, Wrath saw beauty. Wrath saw the world in the glowing tones Envy had long forgotten, and Envy almost saw those too, anymore. Wrath saw flowers, and puppies, and mornings, and gasped at the way they lit up. The world was a novelty to someone who hadn't seen so much as two decades. It was beautiful. To someone who had seen more than forty – well, Envy liked the way blood fell. It painted a tapestry of pictures on all the surfaces around. Surely that was beauty as well?

But what did it matter? Edward didn't know. He couldn't see this. And so he – he just… Envy's fists clenched as he looked at Wrath, lying so still, eyes glazed, not pointing out the wonders of the world. Not even asking the questions all the sins hated so which marveled at the way the world worked – just lying there. Pained.

Had he swallowed? Envy wasn't sure. He hoped so. Condemn Wrath for a fool, letting the life the red stones gave slip away! As soon as he was sure Wrath was better, Envy would go and – and _kill _the Elrics. He would get Al first, and make Edward watch, helpless, as he slowly crushed that stupid seal in his brother's armor. How he would gloat, listening to Al scream, seeing Ed's face flash with what Envy felt now. And then, then he would kill that stupid Edward, make him truly _suffer _for what he had done to Wrath. To the vibrant little boy who had almost… almost… Envy had no idea what he had done, but if he were to put words to it, he would have to say that Wrath had almost given him a soul. If there was such a thing. Envy doubted it, anymore; why shouldn't homunculi be human? Why did everyone assume, seeing them, that their attempts had failed? Maybe it just made them more powerful. Stronger, longer lived, but human all the same – or close enough.

Envy snapped to attention as Wrath stirred, ever so slightly, but stirred. Swallowed. Envy promptly put another stone in the boy's mouth, and that too was accepted. Joy! Something forgotten, known long ago, before he had found Wrath… but now it was back. Wrath would live; Envy watched as his wounds slowly, reluctantly closed. This was true happiness, relief, love – this was a soul.

Wrath's eyes focused, saw Envy. He blinked a moment. "What day is it?" He asked softly.

"The seventeenth." Envy replied, not in the least worried that Wrath's first question was so strange. That Wrath was even asking a question was a miracle he hardly deserved, but one he fully intended to enjoy, and maybe afterwards he would work to deserve it.

Wrath's hand moved, slightly, beckoned him closer. Envy leaned down. The hand jerked, then in an expression of the fierce will Wrath possessed, steadied and snaked quickly, steadily to Envy's face and pinched. Envy yelped and jumped away. "What was that for!" He objected.

Wrath grinned. "Happy St. Patrick's Day." He murmured before drifting off into a recuperative sleep.

"My hair is green, you idiot." Envy snapped irritably at him.


End file.
